Hydraulic machine



m. w. HUMPHREY. HYDRAULIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2i, 192].

LAW 17, Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

N0 W. HUMPHREY, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 ALLIS-CHALMERSMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

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:arnnaumc neonmn. 7

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 241;, 1922.,

Application filed January 21, 1921. Serial No. 438,863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH W. HUMPHREY, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Allis, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inHydraulic Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to improvements .in the art ofconstructing and operating hydraulic machinery and relates morespecifically to improved means for connecting the rotor of a hydraulicturbine, pump or the like to the main shaft thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means forattaching the rotor of a hydraulic machine to its supporting shaft.Another object of the invention is to provide means for attaching arubber or similarly coated rotor to a shaft without necessitatingpuncturing or perforation of the coating. A further object of theinvention is to provide means manipulable from the exterior of thecasing of a hydraulic machine, for effecting adjustment of elementswhich are located within the casing. Still another object oftheinvention is to provide simple and eflicient means for effectingremoval of the rotor of a hydraulic machine. Another object of theinvention is to provide rotor adjusting and removing means which areprotected against the action of gritty substances or chemicals containedin the water which passes through the machine. A further object is toimprove the type of rotor adjusting and removmg means forming thesubject of a copending application filed by Homer P. Binder on or aboutJ an. 21, 1921, Ser. No. 438,842. These and other objects and advantagesof the present invention will be apparent from the followingdescription.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of theoperation of a device constructed in accordance therewith,

may be had by referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification in which like reference characters desi gnate thesame or similar parts.

The single figure of the drawing is a central vertical section through arubber protected centrifugal pump.

The centrifugal pump comprises in general a main outer casing formed ofsections 2, 3, a rotor or impeller 10 located within the casing, aninlet or suction passage 4 leading into the casing in line with thecenter of'the impeller, and an annular discharge chamber surrounding theimpeller and communicating with a tangential discharge conduit notshown.

The main pump casing is supported from the end of a base or frame 21which may also support the driving pulley or propelling motor, and hasthe interior of its sections 2, 3, protected by soft rubber liners 6, 7respectively, which are secured, as by vulcanizing, to metal backingplates 8, 9 respectively. The casing sections 2, 3 are clamped togetherby means of an annular series of bolts 23 which also serve to hold theliners 6, 7 and the plates 8, 9 in position. The liner 6 serves toprotect the inlet passage 3 as well as the casing section 2, while bothof the liners 6, 7 co-operate to form a protecting coating for theannular discharge chamber 5. Removal of the casing section 2, effectsfree access to all portions of the interior of the pump casing, withoutnecessitating disturbance of the pump supporting casing section 3.

The pump rotor or impeller 10 comprises a series of outwardly directedvanes extending from the suction passage 4 to the discharge chamber 5,and a hub formed integral with the vanes, and forming a supporttherefor. The entire impeller 10 including the vanes and the hub, isprovided with a coating 11 of soft rubber or similar material which isadapted to protect the structure against the action of gritty substancesor chemicals which may be contained in the water passing through thepump. The im-' peller hub is bored to snugly fit the reduced endportions 25, 26 of the main horizontal shaft, and is drivingly connectedto the shaft by means of one or more keys 13 located in adjacent keywaysin the hub and shaft. The shaft portions 25, 26 are of different diameters and snugly fit corresponding bores in the impeller hub. The mainhorizontal shaft 12 penetrates the pump casing section 3 through astufling box 20 located on the side of the pump opposite to the sectionpassage 4,-the shaft 12 being mounted in one or more bearings 22 mountedupon the frame 21.

In order to permit adjustment of the im- I peller 10 relatively to thecasing sections 2,

3 after the pump has been assembled, means which are manipulable fromthe exterior of the casing, are provided. These means besides performingsuch impeller adjustment function, serve to effect removal of theimpeller 10 from the main shaft 12 when the casing section 2 has beenremoved. The impeller adjusting and removing means comprises an annularsleeve 14 surrounding the main shaft 12 and extending through thestuffing box 20. The end of the sleeve 14 adjacent to the hub of theimpeller 10, is provided with an external left hand screw thread 15which coacts with an internal screw thread of the impeller hub. Theportion 16 of the coating 11 of the impeller, snugly fits the peripheralsurface of the sleeve 14, thereby preventing fluid from entering thescrew thread 15. The end of the sleeve 14 remote from the impeller 10,is

provided with an internal right hand screw between the gland of thestuffing box 20 and the bearing 22, and is provided with one or moreholes 19 forv the insertion of a spanner wrench whereby rotation of thesleeve 14 relatively to the shaft 12 may be effected when the lockingset screw 18 has been removed. The sleeve 14 besides serving as meansfor adjusting and for'removing the impeller 10, is preferably formed ofsuitable wear resisting material inorder to provide protection for theportion of the shaft 12 located within the sleeve.

During the normal operation of the pump, the impeller 10 is rotatedwithin the mam casing by means of the main shaft 12 rotating in thebearings 22, thereby causing the impeller vanes to deliver fluid intothe discharge chamber 5, from which the fluid is discharged through thetangential dis charge conduit. The fluid thus passing through theimpeller 10 is delivered from the suction passage 4 directly against theend of the impeller hub which is formed to defiect the flow and todirect the water toward the impeller vanes. The soft rubber liners 6,7'and the coating 11 serve to resist destructive action of grittysubstances or chemicals contained in the fluid, upon the internal pumpelements. The protective liners 6, 7 and the coating 11 may be replacedwhen worn, free access to the interior of the pump for purposes ofinspection and removal of the coated elements, be-

ing effected by-removal of the bolts 23 of the casing section 2.

The impeller 10 may be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft, or removedfrom this shaft afterthe casing section 2 has been removed, by rotatingthe sleeve 14 relatively to the main shaft 12 with the aid of a spannerwrench applied to the openings 19 of the sleeve 14. As the sleeve 14 isrotated relatively to the shaft 12 after the locking set screw 18, whichnormally engages the slot 17 has been withdrawn, the internal right handscrew thread 24 at the outer end of the sleeve 14 produces relativelongitudinal movement of the sleeve 14 along the shaft 12 in onedirection, while the external left hand screw thread 15 at the inner endof the shaft 14 produces relative longitudinal movement of the impeller10 along the sleeve 14 and the shaft 12 in the same direction. Due tothe fact that the screw threads 24, 15 are of the opposite hand, thelongitudinal movement of the impeller '10 relatively to the shaft 12will be twice as great as the relative movement of the sleeve 14longitudinally of the shaft, for a given amount of angular displacementof the sleeve 14. During such relative longitudinal displacement of theimpeller 10 along the shaft 12 the impeller 10 is prevented fromrotating relatively to the shaft by means of the keys 13. Mereadjustment of the impeller 10 for the purpose of producing the desiredclearance within the pump casing, may be produced by a limited rotarymovement of the sleeve 14 relatively tothe shaft 12, the sleeve beingagain locked to the shaft 12 by means of the set screw 18, after thedesired degree of adjustment has been attained. By continuing the rotarymovement of the sleeve 14 in the proper direction, the impeller 10 maybe completely removed from the end portions 25, 26 of the shaft12,without necessitating longitudinal displacement of the shaft withinits bearings 22. During such complete removal of the impeller 10, thesleeve 14 need not be withdrawn from the casing section 2, as theimpeller will automatically disengage the screw thread 15 after thesleeve 14 has been rotated a definite amount. By forming the end of theshaft 12 with portions 25, 26 of different diameters, the impeller 10 isfreely removable after it has been moved a distance substantially equalto the length of the shaft portion 25, as the bore of greatest diameterswill then be adjacent to the shaft portion of smallest diameter.

The adjusting and removing device is readily manipulable from theexterior of the pump casing, and entirely avoids necessity of puncturingor perforating the coating 11 of the impeller 10, such perforation ofthe coating being undesirable as the wear resisting qualities of thecoating are thereby reduced. It will also be obvious that the use ofright and left hand screw threads 24, 15 enables rapid adjustment andremoval of the impeller 10, and that the impeller may be entirelyremoved without necessitating removal of the shaft 12 or of the sleeve14.

The sleeve 14 moreover provides efiicient protection for that portion ofthe shaft 12 which is located therewithin, while the screw thread 15 iseffectively protected against corrosion by means of the packing affordedby the coating portion 16.

It will be obvious that the improved device forming a subject of thisinvention, may be applied to other hydraulic machines such as turbines,as readily as to the pump herein shown. It should be understood that itis not desired to limit the invention to the exact details ofconstruction and to the precise manner of manipulating the device hereinshown and described, for obvious modifications within the scope of the.appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a casing, a shaft extending into said casing, a rotorsecured to said shaft within said casing, means for preventingdisplacement of said rotor around said shaft, and means operable fromthe exterior of said casing for effecting movement of said rotor alongsaid shaft, said movement effecting means having screw thread coactionwith said rotor andwith said shaft.

2. In combination, a casing, a shaft having an end extending into saidcasing, a rotor secured to said shaft end within said casing, means forpreventing relative rotation of said rotor and said shaft, and a sleevehaving screw thread coaction with said rotor and said shaft foreffecting relative longitudinal movement of said rotor and said shaft.

3. In combination, a casing, a shaft having an end extending into saidcasing, a

rotor provided with a coating adjacent to said shaft end, said rotor.being locked against rotation relatively to said shaft end, and a sleevehaving screw thread coaction with the side of said rotor remote fromsaid coating for moving said rotor longitudinally of said shaft.

4. In combination, a casing, a shaft having an end extending into saidcasing, a rotor having a hub fitting said shaft end and locked againstrotation relatively to said shaft, a rubber lining for said rotor inalinement with said shaft end, and means manipulatable from the side ofsaid rotor remote from said coating for moving said rotor longitudinallyof said shaft, said means having screw thread coaction with said rotor.

5. In combination, a casing, a shaft extending into said casing, a rotorhaving a hub secured to said shaft, and means having screw threadcoaction with said rotor and with said shaft for moving said rotor alongsaid shaft.

6. In combination, a casing, a shaft extending into said casing, a rotorsecured to said shaft within said casing, and an element having screwthread coaction with said rotor and with said shaft and rotablerelatively to said shaft to move said rotor along said shaft.

7. In combination, a casing, a shaft having an end extending into oneside of said against rotation relatively to said shaft,

means movable longitudinally of said shaft for moving said rotor alongsaid shaft, and means for effecting a greater degree of movement of saidrotor than of said movable means along said shaft during manipulation ofsaid movable means.

9. In combination, a casing, a shaft having an end located within saidcasing, a rotor keyed to said shaft end within said casing, said rotorhaving an internally threaded portion, a sleeve surrounding said shaftand having an externally threaded portion engageable with saidinternally threaded portion of said. rotor, and means located outside ofsaid casing for locking said sleeve to said shaft. a

10. In combination, a casing, a shaft having an end located within saidcasing, a rotor keyed to said shaft end within said casing, said rotorhaving an internally threaded portion, a sleeve surrounding said shaftand having an externally threaded portion engageable with saidinternally threaded portion of said rotor, and means for locking saidsleeve to said shaft.

11. In combination, a shaft, a rotor locked against rotation relativelyto said shaft, and means having screw thread coaction with said rotorand with said shaft for moving said rotor along said shaft.

12. In combination, a shaft having an end provided with portions ofdifferent diameters, a rotor fitting said shaft portions, and means formoving said rotor along said shaft a distance equal to the length of oneof said portions whereupon free removal of said rotor is permitted.

13. In combination, a shaft having a portion of different diameters, arotor fitting said shaft portions, and means having screw -threadcoaction with said rotor and said shaft for moving said rotor along saidshaft portions. 1

14. In combination, a shaft having a portion of different diameters, arotor fitting said shaft portions, means forlocking said rotor againstrotation relatively to said shaft portions, and means having screwthread coaction with said rotor and said shaft for moving said rotoralong said shaft portions. 15. In combination, a shaft having a portionof different. diameters, a rotor fitting said shaft portions and lockedagainst rotation relatively thereto, means having screw thread coactionwith said rotor and said shaft for moving said rotor along said shaft asleeve having screw threads of one hand coacting with said rotor andhaving screw threads of the opposite hand coacting with 30 said shaft.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is afiixed hereto.

NOAH W. HUMPHREI

